Today’s Banana Cupcakes are soft, delicious, full of sweet banana flavor and a little cinnamon in every bite. They taste like banana bread, but lighter, and they are topped with a creamy cinnamon cream cheese frosting that makes these cupcakes taste PHENOMENAL!
What makes this recipe stand out is the whipped egg whites. Folding them in keeps the cupcakes light and airy, even with all those mashed bananas. And with the rich and smooth frosting on top, they just can’t be beat!! They are perfect for birthdays, brunches, bake sales, or anytime you have ripe bananas to use up.
If you love banana desserts like this, you should also try Banana Bread, Banana Pudding and Banana Pudding Poke Cake.
Why you’ll love it + Why it works:
- Great for Ripe Bananas. A perfect way to use up bananas sitting on your counter.
- Family Favorite Dessert. The sweet banana flavor and creamy frosting make these a hit every time.
- Whipped Egg Whites. Folding them in creates a light and airy texture.
- Moist Banana Base. Mashed bananas keep the cupcakes soft and flavorful.
Banana Cupcake Ingredients
- Eggs (4 large): Separates into whites and yolks to create structure and a light, airy texture when whipped.
- Butter (½ cup, softened): Adds richness and keeps the cupcakes tender and flavorful.
- Mashed Bananas (1 ½ cups): Provides natural sweetness and moisture, making the cupcakes soft and full of banana flavor.
- Vanilla Extract (½ teaspoon): Enhances the overall flavor and adds a warm, sweet note.
- Cake Flour (1 ½ cups): Creates a softer, lighter crumb. All-purpose flour works but will be slightly denser. To make cake flour; add 2 tablespoons of cornstarch into a 1-cup measuring cup. Fill it the rest of the way up with all-purpose flour. Level the top. Dump the contents of the measuring cup into a bowl and use a whisk to sift them together.
- Granulated Sugar (¾ cup): Sweetens the cupcakes and helps with structure.
- Baking Powder (2 teaspoons): Helps the cupcakes rise and become fluffy.
- Baking Soda (½ teaspoon): Reacts with the bananas to give extra lift and softness.
- Salt (¼ teaspoon): Balances the sweetness and enhances flavor.
- Cinnamon (1 teaspoon): Adds warmth and pairs perfectly with the banana flavor.
- Butter (6 tablespoons, softened): Forms the base of the frosting and adds richness.
- Cream Cheese (4 ounces, softened): Makes the frosting creamy with a slight tang that balances the sweetness.
- Powdered Sugar (2 cups): Sweetens and thickens the frosting so it holds its shape.
- Vanilla Extract (½ teaspoon): Adds flavor depth to the frosting.
- Cinnamon (1 ½ teaspoons): Gives the frosting a warm, spiced flavor that complements the cupcakes.
How to Make Banana Cupcakes
PREP. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare two muffin tins by lining them with paper liners.
EGG WHITES. Separate the eggs and beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form, then set aside.
WET INGREDIENTS. In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter until light and fluffy. Add the mashed bananas, egg yolks, and vanilla, and mix until smooth. Gently fold in ⅓ of the egg white mixture.
DRY INGREDIENTS. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
COMBINE. Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined. Gently fold in the remaining egg whites.
BAKE. Fill paper baking cups half full and bake 11-15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove and let cool completely.
FROSTING. Beat together the butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar slowly and beat until light and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla and cinnamon.
If necessary, add more powdered sugar until the frosting is firm enough to hold its shape but still light and fluffy. Frost the cooled cupcakes and enjoy!
Pipe the frosting on using an actual piping bag and tip, or cut a corner off a Ziploc bag and use it as a piping bag. Of course, spreading it on with a knife works just fine, too.
Pro Tip: Ripen Bananas Quickly
Place them in a brown paper bag along with an apple. Store it on the counter. To ripen even faster, bake them. Preheat the oven to 300°F. Line a baking pan with parchment paper and place the bananas, peel on, on the sheet. Bake for 30-40 minutes. The peel will turn black and the bananas will become soft to the touch.
Kristyn’s Recipe Tips
- Use Very Ripe Bananas: The darker the bananas, the sweeter and more flavorful your cupcakes will be.
- Don’t Overfill Liners: Fill only halfway to prevent overflow and ensure even baking.
- “Stiff peak” egg whites: As they thicken, lift the whisk out of the whites. A peak should form. If the peak melts back into the whites, keep whipping it. If the peak holds its shape, it is ready to use.
- Frosting alternative: Try Vanilla Buttercream, Strawberry Frosting, or Chocolate Buttercream.
- Garnish: Leave the garnish off, or add a fresh banana slice (right before serving, so they don’t get brown), banana chips (dried bananas), or chopped nuts.
- Make them mini: Use this recipe to make mini Banana Cupcakes. Use a mini cupcake tin and mini cupcake liners. Reduce the bake time to 8-11 minutes.
Banana Cupcakes Recipe
Video
Ingredients
Cupcake
- 4 large eggs
- ½ cup butter, softened
- 1 ½ cups mashed bananas, from 3-4 bananas
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups cake flour, (all-purpose flour can also be substituted)
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Frosting
- 6 tablespoons butter, softened
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar, (more as needed)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare two muffin tins by lining them with paper liners.
- Separate the eggs and beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form, then set aside.
- In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter until light and fluffy. Add the mashed bananas, egg yolks, and vanilla, and mix until smooth. Gently fold in ⅓ of the egg white mixture.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined. Gently fold in the remaining egg whites.
- Fill paper baking cups half full and bake 11-15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove and let cool completely.
- To make the frosting, beat together the butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar slowly and beat until light and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla and cinnamon.
- If necessary, add more powdered sugar until the frosting is firm enough to hold its shape but still light and fluffy. Frost the cooled cupcakes and enjoy!
Notes
- Use Very Ripe Bananas: The darker the bananas, the sweeter and more flavorful your cupcakes will be.
- Fold Gently: Be careful not to overmix when adding egg whites to keep the texture light.
- Don’t Overfill Liners: Fill only halfway to prevent overflow and ensure even baking.
- Make them mini: Use this recipe to make mini Banana Cupcakes. Use a mini cupcake tin and mini cupcake liners. Reduce the bake time to 8-11 minutes.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe FAQ
Store at room temperature for 1-2 days or in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. They taste even better after the flavors meld together!
Cool completely and put them in an airtight container or freezer storage bag for a couple of months. When you’re ready to use them, thaw in the fridge overnight. Frost them once they have thawed.
The frosting can be stored in a separate container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw before using.
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This recipe was first shared February, 2014.
It was absolutely delicious everybody loved them! I accidentally added a little much on the powdered sugar with the frosting so I added just a little bit of heavy whipping cream to thin it out and on top of the frosting I added toasted chopped pecans!😋
That was a perfect fix for the frosting. I’m happy they turned out so delicious!
These fluffy Banana Cupcakes with cinnamon cream cheese frosting sound absolutely delightful! The light and airy texture paired with that creamy, spiced frosting makes them simply irresistible. I can’t wait to try this combination—it sounds like a perfect sweet treat for any occasion!
Hi! I just made these for the first time but when I took them out of the oven, they were super soft and the tops sank in when they cooled. Please tell me what I did wrong?! They look so good!
Sometimes if the batter gets overmixed, the tops will sink in when cooling. So when mixing the cupcakes, you’ll want to mix the dry and wet ingredients together until just combined. Hopefully that helps. And hopefully they still tasted delicious!
Just made them today, and they were absolutely delicious! Tastes very good when you add chocolate chips to the batter.
I don’t know what was more delicious- the moist, flavorful cupcakes, or the to-die-for cinnamon cream cheese frosting! They both make for a dream pairing- even better the next day!
Couldn’t agree more! 😉 So happy to hear you enjoyed the cupcakes!